


Playing Tag

by Psiah



Series: Psiah's One-Hoots [2]
Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: AZURA BOOK CLUB?!, Amity Blight is a useless Luzbian, Azura book club, But she's more competitive than useless, But the second chapter is just a different perspective on the first, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Okay it's a two-shot now, One Shot, With a finite amount of self control
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:53:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26346670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Psiah/pseuds/Psiah
Summary: Roughhousing was never part of the plan for the Azura Book Club, but after getting tagged likethat, neither Amity nor Luz were willing to back down from the challenge.
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda
Series: Psiah's One-Hoots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1912591
Comments: 34
Kudos: 716





	1. Chapter 1

Amity swore that Luz would be the death of her.

Sometimes, she wondered if maybe the fact that Luz hadn’t noticed her incredibly obvious crush was just a way of letting her down softly; that Luz was showing that she didn’t reciprocate, but didn’t want it to impact the friendship they had. Honestly, in some ways, that was a best-case scenario: if nothing else, it would keep her from living out her worst fear in real life. The reproduction Grom had created for her had already hurt enough.

But then, if Luz _was_ trying to turn her down gently, why in the Titan’s name did she keep getting so _close?_

Constant, small touches, those butterfly inducing smiles, the way she’d just casually hold Amity’s hand while they were walking about… things that made it impossibly hard for Amity to tamp down this crush and move on with her life.

But none of those were anywhere _near_ as bad as how, when Luz got really excited about a conversation they were having, she would keep. Getting. _Closer!_

Close enough that, if Amity moved just _centimeters_ forward, they’d kiss. 

Most of the time, Amity was able to fling herself away from that situation before her feelings took over; remove herself from the situation so she wouldn’t think about how soft Luz’s lips might be, or worse, to give herself away by _looking_ at them.

One of these days, she was either going to hurt herself by flinging herself off a building or something in an attempt to avoid it, or she would just give into the temptation. Honestly, she couldn’t decide which fate would be _worse._

Because Luz had made it clear enough: she saw Amity as a _friend._ And further, even though she’d never been a part of the H.A.S., she did remember Augustus informing her about how humans would get _weird_ about same-gender relationships, and the last thing she wanted was for Luz to feel _weird_ around Amity. Well, weirder, at least. There wasn’t exactly a precedent for their relationship, whatever it was.

And even if a friend was all Luz would be to her, and even though it hurt _now,_ Amity _cherished_ that friendship. Intentionally or not, Luz had made her a better person, and, remarkably, a stronger witch.

Yeah, she had no real explanation for why her magic was so much more powerful when Luz was around, but she wasn’t about to stick her head in a gift-giraffe’s mouth.

So Amity looked forward to their meetings, despite the increasing likelihood that Luz would send her to an early grave.

It happened during their (semi-)secret Azura book club, hidden away in the (formerly) lonely witch’s secret library room.

They were having a heated discussion about Hecate’s redemption arc. The heat of the conversation was a bit unexpected, considering that they were in total agreement about it, but they’d both heard from enough jerks talking it down for terrible reasons, and it had swiftly turned into a pitched debate against these absent opponents.

But Luz was doing that _thing_ again.

Every point either of them made, she would get _closer._

Amity’s first instinct was to flop away, but given that she’d chosen to sit with her back against the wall, and shelves to her opposite side, it wasn’t something she could really do.

Instead, she was forced to fight her urges as those lovely brown eyes bore down on her with warmth and intensity.

Titan, this was hard! It was too close for comfort to some of her fantasies! Although, in those, Luz’s passion wasn’t directed at refuting “online” idiots.

How long could Amity keep this up? Her neck, ears, and cheeks burned. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. Her skin _tingled_ in anticipation of something that would never — _should_ never — happen.

She gave in after an eternity.

Or, to put a number to it in real time, about 13 seconds.

Their lips met only briefly, and chastely. Luz instantly stopped talking, and Amity banged her head into the wall behind her as her brain caught up to her mouth and she tore herself away from the wonderful, shocking sensation.

Another eternity passed with neither of them moving, neither of them so much as _blinking,_ Amity's head throbbing, and Luz just as red as Amity.

“S-Sorry”. Amity was the first to speak, if shakily. “You were just so close and I didn’t… I shouldn’t have. I never meant to offend you! I’m really sorry!”

“Oh… yeah…” Luz chuckled uneasily. “Sorry, I _was_ getting pretty close there. I guess that was you, uh…” Luz let out a full, insincere laugh. “Finding a way to get me to back off. Just… tagging me like that. Um…” Luz shook her head. “Dios _Mío…_ mi primer beso _…_ ”

“Y-Yup!” Even though she didn't understand the last part of what Luz said, Amity leaned into the out Luz was providing her: an opportunity to save face. When Amity laughed, it sounded just as fake. “Let that be a warning, Noceda! Be careful, or you’ll never know what you’re gonna get!”

To emphasize her point, Amity playfully snapped her teeth in Luz’s direction.

Okay, yes, it was technically flirty, but would a human understand that? The Boiling Isles were _full_ of creatures who would unhesitantly take a bite out of you. Luz had been here long enough that she would _probably_ take it as a threat.

Amity could play it off as a threat. 

That’s how she could justify it to herself.

Yup! Definitely wasn’t doing it _because_ it was flirty!

“Oh?” Luz raised an eyebrow, and adopted a mischievous smirk. “I’ll have you know, _Blight,_ that much like Hecate, I don’t back down from a challenge.”

“Wha—” Was all Amity managed to get out before Luz struck.

Luz darted in and out, like a snake, leaving a quick peck on Amity’s lips.

 _Titan!_ Luz had kissed _her._

But also, Luz had _challenged_ her, and Amity didn’t back down from a challenge either.

So even though this was apparently just a game to Luz, even though that _hurt,_ and even though Amity hated this game of emotions they were playing, she _refused_ to lose.

Especially after Luz had kicked it off with such a cheap shot.

Amity _hated_ cheating.

“Oh, it’s _on,_ Luz!” Amity declared as she lunged forward.

Luz was ready for her, and cackled madly as she rolled backwards, out of the way. Undeterred, Amity followed, timing it just right so that as Luz rolled face up again, she attacked.

Her lips _almost_ missed their target. Amity only caught the corner of Luz’s mouth, and was forced to retreat instead of correcting her alignment.

But before she could get away, Luz caught her wrist, and pulled her back down.

They tussled for a bit, rolling around on the ground as they fought for position, both of them screeching and crying with laughter. Unfortunately, Amity couldn’t escape. Humans, she’d found, were just physically denser than witches, and with the amount of work Luz had been putting in over the last few months, Luz had the advantage in both strength _and_ weight. Eventually, Luz had her pinned.

For a few seconds, neither did anything as they both tried to catch their breath. Luz was sitting on top of Amity’s hips, and had both of her hands pinned above her head. Amity shot her best glare up at Luz’s triumphant face, trying to pretend she hadn’t been secretly dreaming of a moment almost exactly like this.

Luz leaned forward, resting her forehead against Amity’s.

“Looks like I caught you, Blight.” Luz whispered.

Amity tried to suppress the shiver that ran down her spine.

“Then take your prize.” Amity whispered back, failing to put any real venom into the statement, despite her apparent loss. 

Amity expected another quick, teasing kiss, then they’d get up and move on, but instead, Luz moved in _agonizingly_ slowly. The kiss was gentle, and lingering. Amity’s heart tried its hardest to punch a hole through her chest as Luz pulled back only slightly.

Impossibly close, as if she was daring Amity to “tag” her back. 

One of them closed the distance again.

And again.

And again.

Then they didn’t come apart. Their lips kept slowly working against each other.

Amity was in bliss. She was _making out_ with her crush. Had Luz actually been the death of her? Had she died, and, despite everything, wound up in the good place?

Eventually, they pulled apart. Luz released her arms, and rolled off to the side. Amity turned her head, only to find Luz looking at her with the warmest of eyes and softest of smiles.

Amity couldn’t help but return it. Idly, she brought her hand over to Luz’s neck, and began to gently trace her cheek with her thumb.

“So…” Luz said. “I guess I won.”

“No,” Amity said, shaking her head the tiniest amount. “I’m pretty sure _I_ did.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did say I had another Owl House one shot to post "Soon", and here I am, the very next day, posting it! Also, Meowza Wowza! 346 kudos in 24 hours? Shoot, I was thinking I'd be lucky to get, like, 50! Wonder what my odds are of this one having similar success? Probably not all that great, if I'm being honest. I think the last one was the better of the two.
> 
> Incidentally, if you want the spiel on who I am and what I've done in the past, you can click the "previous work in series" button, and go read it there. I have no intention of being that wordy this time. :x
> 
> (But I might fail anyways)
> 
> The idea for this fic came after waking up after three hours of sleep, having to do a few things, then going ~~straight~~ back to bed. Admittedly, there isn't a whole lot to it, but the idea still got my creative juices flowing.
> 
> I, uh... don't really speak Spanish, so, the one line of it here (which should more or less translate to "Oh my god, my first kiss") is more or less translation via google fu. That is to say, I didn't _just_ plug it into google translate and call it good; I checked multiple places to try to make sure I didn't have some sort of "gotcha" that would mean I was doing it all wrong. Still, if I did, and that's not the right way to say it, feel free to send me a message or review with an explanation, and I have no problems with correcting it.
> 
> And while, yes, Luz being "denser" is partially because of the whole "Luz is incredibly dense" meme the fandom has going on right now, but it's also because there were some implications (such as Mattholomew being "so little" and easy for Luz to carry) that Witches are lighter than humans. And Lesbihonest, Luz has upgraded her weak nerd arms to _strong_ nerd arms. Either way that competition means Amity can't really win at wraslin' without cheating, which she'd never do.
> 
> Also, yes, after all this, they talk out their feelings and go about things in a healthy manner. Just... tacking that on at the end would have made it feel a bit oddly paced, methinks. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading!
> 
> (Edit 10-Sept-2020: Fixed some typos.)


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn’t that Luz hadn’t realized that Amity was uncomfortable with proximity; every time Luz would accidentally get close, Amity’s face would go bright red… just like twins had told her it would when she got angry. And Luz felt  _ really _ bad every time she’d make Amity angry! She always apologized right away! And, well, Amity had always accepted those apologies without hesitation, and moved on. Honestly, Amity was probably trying to get her anger issues under control just as much as Luz was trying to tone down her touchiness.

Besides, any good relationship required a little give and take. She knew that much.

…

… _Friendship!_

Friendship relationship!

Luz didn’t mean that—

Well, not that she’d be opposed—

It was just…

Amity already had someone she was interested in.

And it’s not like anyone was  _ ever _ interested in Luz.

Luz, the human.

Luz, the weirdo.

Luz, the strangest thing on the Boiling Isles.

Just like she’d been at home.

What acceptance she had here was hard won, and she certainly had no desire to risk it. Particularly not with Amity, who she worried could end up right back in the aggressive, status-focused world where she started.

Amity, Luz knew, wasn’t the sort to take any sort of rejection well, even stuff like her parents forcing it on her. Losing Willow as a friend had been hurtful enough to make Amity into a bully for a while… and Luz could tell, those scars ran deep. Amity would still lapse into bully mode on occasion, particularly when she felt threatened, but at her core, Amity was kind, gentle, helpful. She valued fairness and hard work. She was great with children and — despite the aloof personality she maintained — cared greatly about her friends’ wellbeing. And she was trying  _ so hard _ to shake off the bad habits of her past. Heck, as the Grudgby game had proven, Amity was even willing to make a fool of herself for her friends!

And that meant an  _ awful _ lot to Luz.

Plus, they had a lot of the same interests. Azura, for one. On top of that, pretty much everything else Luz had introduced her to, Amity loved. They’d hang out, just the two of them, in their “secret” club. Amity’s gorgeous eyes would sparkle in the low light, her smile being the only light the room really needed, and occasionally she’d let out this adorable laugh that just—

_ No! Bad Luz! _ She needed to stop thinking about Amity like that.

But there was a reason she wasn’t constantly accidentally invading Willow or Gus’s personal space.

_ Which she needed to stop doing with Amity! _ Amity didn’t like it. Honestly, she probably thought it was a little creepy.

Just like her last crush.

And she didn’t want to go back to being called “Creepy Luz”.

…

_ Not that she had a crush on Amity or anything! _ She was just a mixed up, messed up ball of teenage emotions.

She  _ couldn’t _ have a crush on Amity, anyway. It wouldn’t be fair.

Which was exactly why she preferred not to think about it. Just go with the flow, push those emotions aside, and have fun exploring this terrifying new world.

Of course, that meant she often forgot to not do the things she wasn’t supposed to do, especially when she got excited, and since pretty much everything she did with Amity was exciting, that meant she was constantly accidentally testing Amity’s limits. One day, she was sure she was going to blunder right through them. Hopefully Amity could forgive her.

It happened during their Azura Book club, in the library clubhouse. She didn’t care what the twins thought of this place, it was the  _ best. _

…And not  _ just _ because she was only ever there with Amity.

She and Amity were tucked into the corner, backs against the wall, talking about one of Luz’s favorite parts: Hecate’s redemption arc. Unfortunately, it seemed like very few people held that part in high regard, but Amity was one of them! Which meant that Luz could safely vent about all the people who just… didn’t  _ get _ it. And while she had been burned too many times to directly voice it here, she thought she knew a few reasons why certain people were so opposed to it: Hecate wasn’t conventionally beautiful. Given that she had three faces, many people found that off-putting, or weird, and as one person arguing in bad faith had so succinctly put it, “ugly people can’t be good”. Which was a complete load of crap, but years of Disney Villains meant the idea still affected people, even if most didn’t think about it. Another place Disney had failed was with queer-coding, and she would and  _ had _ argued that Hecate was definitely meant to be queer, even though it hadn’t been confirmed, and that wasn’t  _ just _ a problem Hecate faced; many figured Malingale was also on the verge of betraying the team at every turn, which, if they’d been paying attention, they’d realize was patently ridiculous!

As Luz spiraled further and further down this train of thought, she completely forgot to give Amity her space. She didn’t even  _ realize _ she was close to Amity until something shockingly soft touched her lips and cut her off, and even that didn’t really register until Amity’s head slammed back against the wall in an attempt to get away from her.

Luz was frozen as her brain kept trying, and failing, to understand what just happened. Amity’s face was red.  _ Really _ red. She must be incredibly angry.

“S-Sorry”. Amity said, voice shaking, likely trying to control her anger. “You were just so close and I didn’t… I shouldn’t have. I’m really sorry!”

Even now, Amity was trying to keep herself under control. She really  _ cared. _ Once again, she was facing her own fears, her own discomfort, for Luz’s sake.

Luz was the one who  _ really _ needed to apologize.

“Oh… yeah…” Luz chuckled uneasily. “Sorry, I  _ was _ getting pretty close there. I guess that was you, uh…” Luz let out an insincere laugh, still trying to get a handle on what had just happened. “Finding a way to get me to back off. Just… tagging me like that.” Luz reasoned. “Um…” She tried to continue, but ended up shaking her head. Did Amity realize how  _ big _ this was to her? “Dios  _ Mío…  _ mi primer beso…”

“Y-Yup!” Amity said, still shaky. “Let that be a warning, Noceda! Be careful, or you’ll never know what you’re gonna get!”

And then Amity did the last thing Luz expected. She snapped her teeth towards Luz, playfully. There was a flash of fang, and all Luz could think of was how those might  _ feel. _ And… was that flirting? Was Amity  _ flirting _ with her?

No, no, she  _ couldn’t _ be. This was  _ Amity. _ She would never…

…Except, she just did. A kiss out of nowhere, the tone that challenge had been said in, the way Amity had said her last name… the  _ teeth! _ It made a lot of sense. It made Luz start to recontextualize. Maybe Amity…  _ wasn’t _ angry? Maybe she was… blushing?

Except, that would mean…

No, no, it couldn’t be. This wasn’t the sort of thing that happened to Luz! It was just a game. A challenge. It didn’t mean anything. It couldn’t.

But thinking about it this hard was making her brain hurt, so she stopped. It was time to go with the flow, and if Amity was going to kill her for this, at least she’d die being herself, and having fun.

So… if it was going to be a challenge…

“Oh?” Luz asked, raising an eyebrow, and trying to be a bit flirty herself. “I’ll have you know,  _ Blight _ , that much like Hecate, I don’t back down from a challenge.”

“Wha—” Amity started to say.

And Luz knew that was the right time to strike. Amity had caught her with her guard down, too! Luz was quick, in and out. This time, she was prepared, and able to enjoy the electrifying sensation of her second ever kiss.

But Amity was competitive, and strong and fast in her own right. For her own safety, Luz didn’t let it linger. Instead, she prepared her escape, whether it was an escape from retaliation within the confines of the game, or to escape with her life, she still wasn’t entirely sure.

“Oh, it’s  _ on, _ Luz!” Amity shouted in response, and lunged.

Luz couldn’t help but let out a wild, cackling laugh as she rolled backwards. Her heart soared. Whatever this game was, Amity was willingly playing, even as they invented their own rules along the way.

And Amity was quick! As Luz returned upright, she was already there, striking back with another delightful, soft kiss. Sure, it was halfway to her cheek, but it was still soft, and warm, and wonderful. 

And when Amity pulled away, she did so with a beautiful, bright smile.

Could that mean what Luz hoped it meant?

Well, she wouldn’t find out if she just let Amity just win!

Luz caught her arm before she could get away, pulling Amity back down. Amity fell with an elated shriek, and they were both laughing as Amity tried to push her away. They rolled on the floor, Luz trying to get a good handle on Amity’s wrists. Goodness, Amity was strong! Luz loved that about her… liked! Liked that about her! Still, Luz knew her only chance would be to successfully use her size advantage… Witches were surprisingly light.

With a great deal of effort, Luz halted their rolling with herself on top. Amity was smiling, laughing, and kicking as Luz got control of one wrist, then the other, pinning them above her head.

Luz’s heart stopped as she was able to slow down and properly  _ look _ at Amity. Somewhere in the scuffle, her ponytail had come undone. Amity’s hair was down, framing her face and showing far more of her roots than usual. Her face was flushed, defiance in her eyes, but try as she might to find it, Luz couldn’t find any anger.

And that look was making her  _ feel _ things.

Luz wasn’t always the best at reading people, but with how Amity was trying to fight back that smile? Well, she hoped it wasn’t wishful thinking.

Still, she was going to give Amity every chance to tell her no, to show whether or not this was something she was willing to put up with. Carefully, she rested her forehead against Amity’s, searching those beautiful, burning gold eyes for any sign of discomfort.

“Looks like I caught you, Blight.” Luz whispered, anticipation making it nearly impossible to say any louder.

“Then take your prize.” Amity whispered back.

And  _ oh. _

Luz’s heartbeat was absolutely  _ wild. _

Did Amity have any idea what that did to her?

Or maybe… just maybe… she did.

And Amity had just given her permission.

But it wasn’t a game. Not anymore. This was her chance. Her chance to show Amity what she truly meant to her. Her chance to put the ball in Amity’s court, and see where she wanted to go with… all of this.

So Luz closed the distance slowly, meaningfully. Their lips met as tenderly as she could manage, and this time, she lingered in the electric bliss, holding it long enough for there to be no mistake as to what she meant.

And then, painfully, she pulled back. Only slightly. Hoping Amity would tag her back. Hoping Amity would return the kiss with the same tenderness and affection.

_ Please, _ Luz thought,  _ kiss me. _

_ Please, like me. _

_ Please, want me. _

Then Amity carefully closed the distance. It was just as soft. Just as lingering. Just as powerful. Luz almost cried, but her fears fled her mind as she surrendered to the moment. 

They came apart briefly, but Luz wanted more, matching Amity kiss for kiss, until they just stopped separating, each movement of their lips a small part of a wonderful symphony.

But it couldn’t last forever. Eventually, Luz started to cramp, and worried that Amity would also be uncomfortable, squished up underneath her like that. She rolled to the side, stretching her legs. She couldn’t help the way she smiled as Amity’s eyes followed hers. If the awestruck smile Amity had right now was the last thing she ever saw, Luz would die a very happy woman.

Then Amity’s hand gently found its way to her neck, and she began tracing soft, sparking lines on Luz’s cheek.

There was no mistaking it anymore. No misinterpreting or avoiding it. Someone  _ liked _ Luz.  _ Amity _ liked Luz. And Luz couldn’t be happier.

“So…” She said, “I guess I won.”

Luz didn’t mean the game.

“No,” Amity said, her head shaking almost imperceptibly, her smile blindingly warm, “I’m pretty sure I did.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh... surprise? This one shot got a second chapter. Or, rather, it got the same chapter but from the other perspective. Not really something I'd originally planned, so it's not like I intended to bamboozle anyone. Honestly I thought that folks subscribing to this story that was clearly labeled as a one-shot was a little strange, but joke's on the rest of us, I guess. :P
> 
> ...With that said, I have no plans to add more to this. I have no idea where the story would go from here.
> 
> Honestly, this came about... well, I guess when I was first writing the idea, I wasn't sure which perspective to use, but decided on Amity, but then I saw a [pretty good yet controversial video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDoA_gLkbf4) that asked me (as someone watching it) to question my reasoning behind my choices for favorite characters, and, instead of getting defensive about it or anything, I decided to give it an attempt.
> 
> After all, Luz is a character who _should_ be my favorite for a lot of reasons. I _should_ be able to relate to her really well, but when I've talked about my favorite characters, I've said "Eda and Amity". Luz has always been #3, but I've left that unmentioned. So, I resolved to figure out why I was doing that, and not ignoring the possibility that, yes, societally ingrained views could certainly be a part of it.
> 
> So, as an exercise in self-discovery, I elected to put some effort into writing from Luz's perspective, and see where that got me. And now this exists.
> 
> It didn't change my order of favorites (though I'm going to start including Luz on that list when I mention it, because dammit, she deserves to be there), but it did tell me a lot about why they ended up in the order they did.
> 
> Luz's more... scattered thought patterns are a bit more difficult for me to follow, mostly because I see her as having an ability I lack: the ability to _not_ think about something. That doesn't mean that Luz isn't fun for me to write, because she absolutely is, but it takes more effort, and I worry a lot more about whether or not I'm getting it "right". Amity, meanwhile, I can slip right into; the _way_ she thinks and acts is more relatable to me, her experiences more familiar. It's not that I can't relate to Luz, it's that Amity is nearly a perfect match.
> 
> But if you only ever do Amity, I think you miss out on exploring some really compelling territory. I wish in the first chapter / version of this, I could have gone into _why_ Luz didn't immediately treat it as what it was, and instead made a game out of it. Heck, that line of thought was part of why I wanted to write this story in the first place! So if / when I write my TOH stuff, I'm going to try to get a good balance of their perspectives, I think.
> 
> In the meantime... I'm not quite as confident about this chapter as I was the first one, but it could have spent an eternity in editing hell and not gotten any better. It's worth reminding myself that I write stuff for _me_ , not for any potential readers, but... still, I hope y'all like it.
> 
> (Also, gorrammit, I need to stop making A/Ns that are half as long as the chapters they're for.)


End file.
